Chatbot as a learning assistant: Factors influencing adoption and recommendation

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Marketing IntelligenceSoon, it is expected that artificial intelligence (AI) may replace many jobs whose work is based in repetitive tasks. Considering the role that this technology will play in our lives over the next few years, it would be interesting to take advantage of its potential now and use it as a transformation agent in the educational system. This study aims to evaluate the main drivers for adoption and recommendation of chatbots as a learning assistant to students in higher education. The research uses an innovative model based on gamification affordance, support construct from the students control model, and performance expectance, hedonic motivation, and behavioural intention to adopt constructs from the well-known UTAUT2 model. The model was empirically assessed using structural equation modelling (SEM) based on 302 responses from an online survey conducted in a South American country, Brazil. Support and hedonic motivation were found to be the most significant drivers for behaviour intention to adopt a chatbot. To explain the antecedents of the intention to recommend a chatbot, support and behavioural intention to adopt were the most important drivers found. For scholars, this research brings new material for further exploration of individual drivers for technology adoption and recommendation. For practitioners, knowing the main drivers for adoption and recommendation of a chatbot enables them to develop a technology with higher chances of absorption in the market

The national security argument for protection of domestic industries

Tracing the origin of the national security argument for protection of domestic industries to Adam Smith, Alexander Hamilton, and Friedrich List, we study its post-GATT applications with reference to Article XXI of the WTO. We compare the use of tariff, production/input subsidy, and government procurement as alternative instruments of protection from the perspective of economic efficiency and study the disapproval of inward FDI to gain insights into the underlying national security concerns. The case studies of a) the US tariffs on aluminum and steel, b) German disapproval of the acquisition of a technology firm Leifeld Metal Spinning by a Chinese firm, and c) US’ all out global effort to cripple China’s telecom equipment giant Huawei are presented for illustration

Familiarizing children with atificial intelligence

Abstract. Studies regarding the digital literacy of children can be found easily. Such as teaching children about coding, involvement of children in the design and development of technology, learning of CT, and abstraction. On the other hand, the availability of literature regarding the combination of children and AI is still not enough. Especially, there is a lack of research regarding AI literacy of children which is the research problem. The gap was found while searching for material regarding AI and children through ACM Digital Library and IEEE Xplore which motivated to conduct this research. Thus, the research was conducted with the aim of familiarizing children with the AI. Moreover, the qualitative research method was used for this study. The reason to choose this method was the lack of literature in this field. Another reason was to obtain evidence-based on observations in the real environment. Data was collected in the form of observations, texts (activity worksheets), pictures, video, and audio. The teacher was interviewed at the end of the last session to get feedback about children’s learning. Also, the study was conducted at an international school in Oulu, Finland. Sessions were conducted on 19 Nov and 26 Nov 2019. Each session was of approximately 45 minutes. Children belonging to the age-group of 11–12 years were included. To introduce AI to the children existing material with modification was used. During the sessions, children had some hands-on activities such as an online ML activity. Some activity worksheets were also distributed among them. Children were asked about AI before and after this concept was explained to them. Findings of the study suggested that some children’s opinion about AI was changed after they were being engaged in learning activities. In the beginning, upon asking them about AI a few children answered as coding or robot whereas repeating the same question at the end some students mentioned “thinking by itself”. In contrast, some students still mentioned robot or computer. Observations also suggest that children seemed to learn more easily through hands-on activities and by listening to stories. Based on the results of this study, it seems that more sessions with careful planning are needed to get better results in the future. One limitation is, the results of this study cannot be applied to a large group of children. Another limitation of this study is the unknown background of participants

Critters in the Classroom: A 3D Computer-Game-Like Tool for Teaching Programming to Computer Animation Students

The brewing crisis threatening computer science education is a well documented fact. To counter this and to increase enrolment and retention in computer science related degrees, it has been suggested to make programming "more fun" and to offer "multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary programs" [Carter 2006]. The Computer Visualisation and Animation undergraduate degree at the National Centre for Computer Animation (Bournemouth University) is such a programme. Computer programming forms an integral part of the curriculum of this technical arts degree, and as educators we constantly face the challenge of having to encourage our students to engage with the subject. We intend to address this with our C-Sheep system, a reimagination of the "Karel the Robot" teaching tool [Pattis 1981], using modern 3D computer game graphics that today's students are familiar with. This provides a game-like setting for writing computer programs, using a task-specific set of instructions which allow users to take control of virtual entities acting within a micro world, effectively providing a graphical representation of the algorithms used. Whereas two decades ago, students would be intrigued by a 2D top-down representation of the micro world, the lack of the visual gimmickry found in modern computer games for representing the virtual world now makes it extremely difficult to maintain the interest of students from today's "Plug&Play generation". It is therefore especially important to aim for a 3D game-like representation which is "attractive and highly motivating to today's generation of media-conscious students" [Moskal et al. 2004]. Our system uses a modern, platform independent games engine, capable of presenting a visually rich virtual environment using a state of the art rendering engine of a type usually found in entertainment systems. Our aim is to entice students to spend more time programming, by providing them with an enjoyable experience. This paper provides a discussion of the 3D computer game technology employed in our system and presents examples of how this can be exploited to provide engaging exercises to create a rewarding learning experience for our students

Designing Engaging Learning Experiences in Programming

In this paper we describe work to investigate the creation of engaging programming learning experiences. Background research informed the design of four fieldwork studies to explore how programming tasks could be framed to motivate learners. Our empirical findings from these four field studies are summarized here, with a particular focus upon one – Whack a Mole – which compared the use of a physical interface with the use of a screen-based equivalent interface to obtain insights into what made for an engaging learning experience. Emotions reported by two sets of participant undergraduate students were analyzed, identifying the links between the emotions experienced during programming and their origin. Evidence was collected of the very positive emotions experienced by learners programming with a physical interface (Arduino) in comparison with a similar program developed using a screen-based equivalent interface. A follow-up study provided further evidence of the motivation of personalized design of programming tangible physical artefacts. Collating all the evidence led to the design of a set of ‘Learning Dimensions’ which may provide educators with insights to support key design decisions for the creation of engaging programming learning experiences